Gun ban would protect more than 2,200 firearms

EILEEN SULLIVAN
Associated PressPublished: February 16, 2013 1:34PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress' latest crack at a new assault weapons ban would exempt more than 2,200 specific firearms, including a semi-automatic rifle early identical to one of the guns used in the bloodiest shootout in FBI history.

President Barack Obama has called for restoring a ban on military-style assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition magazines.

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has introduced a bill that would ban 157 specific firearms designed for military and law enforcement use and exempt those made for hunting.

One model of the Ruger Mini-14 -- used in the deadly 1986 FBI shootout -- is on the list of banned guns. A different model is on the list of exempted firearms. Gun experts say the two firearms are equally deadly.